Pension hike: Rush for disabled' stamp

Jainoor: The state government’s decision to hike the pension amount to Rs 3,000 from the existing Rs 1,500 has created a huge demand for ‘disabled’ certificates being issued at Sadarem camp by the health department.

It is said that there was much demand for fresh ‘disabled’ certificates and renewal of the existing ones following the hike in the pension announced by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar  Rao with the government soon to implement it.

Hundreds of people with disabilities thronged the medical camp to get certificates and some others to renew their old certificates. The state has also announced that they will hike old age pension to Rs 2,016 from Rs 1,000.

Sadarem camp was conducted at Jainoor Community Hospital where hundreds of disabled persons thronged to get certificates in order to get hiked pension to be implemented in the near future.

Kanaka Ambaji Rao of Jainoor said, “People were facing lot of hardships in getting ‘disabled’ certificates since no camp was conducted in the last four years in the tribal areas and people were running from pillar to post to get tested for their disability.”

People from Jainoor Agency area have been requesting the authorities to hold a Sadarem camp so that people can get tested for disability and get their certificates. It is learnt that people may get their ‘disabled’ certificates after scrutiny of their applications and previous record and this may take a few months.

The state government has not yet declared from which month it will implement the hiked pension for disabled persons or pensions for the aged.

Dr Shyam Prasad Parimela, orthopaedic working at RIMS Adilabad who tested the patients at the Sadarem camp at Jainoor said that there was a good response to the camp and many people attended the camp from the area.

Disabled People Association’s leader, Unde Maruthi, said that the authorities concerned informed them that they will hand over the ‘disabled’ certificates in six months after visiting their homes.

Mr Maruthi said that there was much demand for the ‘disabled’ certificates following the state government’s decision to hike the pension.